Kansas Football: Les Miles getting ripped for Big 12 Media Days presser
Les Miles had his first Big 12 Media Days appearance as Kansas football coach and people are ripping him for his ‘awkward’ approach.
Let’s face it, the Les Miles era at Kansas has gotten off to a weird start.
On Monday, he had his first opportunity to address Big 12 reporters at the annual Media Days event inside Jerry World. The excitement was building before his presser kicked off and everyone wanted to know what his thoughts were on the team he had for 2019, and he went as far as to say it’s more talented than the one he took over at Oklahoma State back in 2001.
Miles was the topic of conversation on Monday, but some of the headlines were not so positive regarding the former national champion head coach.
Heartland College Sports went as far as to say his presser was a disaster, stating it was ‘odd’ and ‘awkward’ at times.
Others agreed.
Obviously, I'm a K-State grad so you can take this with all the grains of salt that you want. But this Les Miles presser is really awkward. I've never seen a coach reading straight out of a little notebook at the podium (and at times struggling to keep his place).
— John Kurtz (@jlkurtz) July 15, 2019
Les Miles had to consult a notebook several times to make it through his opening remarks. Lots of silence and long pauses. Reminded me of his introductory news conference. Very awkward.
— Kellis Robinett (@KellisRobinett) July 15, 2019
Sure, Miles has been away from coaching for a couple of years since being let go at LSU, but he should be well-versed in media interactions. Is he just getting old and forgetful? Possibly, but those who watched his press conference came away a little confused with his remarks.
One such remark that received a ton of criticism was his take on the Pooka Williams situation with domestic violence leading to a one-game suspension. He said that violence against women will not be tolerated but he was ‘OK’ with the one-game slap on the wrist instead of a more severe punishment. This isn’t an easy topic to discuss, so it’s fine with him being uncomfortable in this part of his presser, but he didn’t seem to believe what he was saying about the short suspension being fine.
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As the year progresses, I’m sure Miles will get back into the swing of things with the press and the awkward stages will be over, but for now, the cringe is real.